Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Happy Memories of Amato's Beer Tasting - Part II

Finally I resumed my mission to rekindle my love of Lord Nelson Brewery beers, although to be honest I approached with some trepidation. You see, my memories were so fond, yet so blurred that I was possibly mistaken, or under the influence. Well obviously I was under the influence (1/2 dozen pints tend to have that effect), and my expectations ma

y well have been too high.

The trepidation was undeserved, as the Three Sheets Pale Ale exceeded my already high expectations. Fragrant, full-bodied and with an excellent head, the lingering aftertaste was a pleasant reminder of what had just passed my lips, and what needed to pass again and again. It was that good. In fact, it was so good I'm seriously considering piping it directly from the pub to my house. Tenders are currently being sought, so feel free to submit your bid! I bought a couple so I can do a proper beer review, and just because it was so damned nice.

Next was the locally made Arvo Australian Lagers, which came cleverly in a six-pack with three stubbies from two separate batches. Clever marketing, to be sure, but it was following in Lord Nelson's giant footsteps.

It was clean and crisp, but subtle in a watery kind of way. Certainly worth a try, and would make a good session beer, but lagers compliment their lightness with aromatic hops and/or fragrant yeasts, both of which were in short supply. Not bad, but in a crowded market it lacked differentiation. Still, it is worth a second try and may get a gong down the track with a full review, and of course it suffered from following Lord Nelson...